Ready To Love Again
by joshparrilla
Summary: Losing Robin saddened her because she had finally believed she had a second chance. But what if she was wrong? What if he wasn't her second chance? What if there was another man in town who was supposed to be her second chance?


**Seems like I was walking in the wrong direction  
I barely recognize my own reflection, no  
Scared of love but scared of life alone**

His eyes darted across the room as the words came out of her mouth. David couldn't believe it was all happening again. Snow had been part of Regina's first heartbreak and now Emma had created a new one. The peace had visited town for a short period and chaos had just arrived once again.

"Regina!" He felt the name leaving his lips as he followed her out.  
"Go back to your coronation party, Charming."  
"I see you're back on evil mode."  
"What do you want David?" She asked as she fought the tears threatening to roll down her cheeks.  
"I wanted to see if you were okay."  
"Do I look okay, Charming?" Regina was no longer fighting the tears. "Do you think I cry because my heart wants to be broken yet again?"  
"Regina, I am going to hug you now."  
"What? N…"

Before she could finish the phrase, she found herself in an embrace that made her feel safe. He wrapped his arms around her, just above her waist. His arms felt strong against her tiny body. She could feel the raising of his chest as he breathed in and out. And for reasons that she didn't understand, Regina rested her face against his shoulder right where it met with his neck. David didn't smell like forest. He smelled of sweet cologne which she believed fit his personality perfect. Her whole body relaxed and she lost herself in his arms.

"Thank…thank you, David."  
"Wow no sassiness there." He flashed her a charming smile as he let go of her.  
"Don't push it."  
He nodded. "Are you going to be okay?"  
"Always am."  
"Regina, you are better than any man. I know it hurts but you will be okay. You are stronger than this."  
"Do you really think that?"  
"I know it."

David was staring at her, trying to figure out a way to reach her, when Robin Hood walked out of the diner. Right behind him, his wife, who was supposed to be dead, walked out carrying their son. He felt the tension running through Regina's body and, against his past, he stood in front of her protecting her with his body. Robin wouldn't physically hurt her but he had done enough already.

"Regina, may we speak?"  
"I think you should leave her alone tonight."  
"David, with all due respect this is none of your business." Robin looked at Regina standing behind the prince. "And the lady may speak for herself."  
"You've done enough for the night, thief." His pulse had intensified and the veins on his body looked tense. "Go back to your forest."

As she watched Robin and his family walk away, Regina couldn't wrap her mind around what she had just witnessed. David and Robin had attempted a friendship in the last year but the prince didn't hesitate to attack in order to protect her. _To protect her_. That was echoing in her mind. Yes, the Charmings had been good to her in the last few months, but was that a reason to defend her? She was grateful, though, for David because she wouldn't have been able to face Robin.

"Thief? Go back to your forest?"  
"Was I a bit harsh?"  
"A bit is underestimated." She grinned. "Thank you, David."  
"I couldn't let him hurt you."  
"I don't believe his aim was to hurt me."  
"The pain, it's visible in your eyes. It came back the minute he hugged _her_."  
"Have you ever felt the pain you are talking about? Have you ever felt that you heart stopped beating even if it hasn't?"  
"No, I can't say I have."  
"That's how I feel right now."  
"May I ask you something without offending you?"  
"If you have to ask, it means I will be offended."  
"Just…May I?"  
"Go ahead."  
"Do you truly love him? Or the fact that someone told you he was your soul-mate made you fall for him?"  
"How dare you, Mr. Nolan? How dare you ask such things?"  
"You said I could. And replying with a question isn't a good sign, your majesty."  
"Watch your tone."

Regina looked at David out the corner of her eye and could see the changes in his body structure. The first time they had met, he looked like a small shepherd boy who barely knew how to be around others. His back wasn't a noticeable feature and his arms looked like they were about to break. But not anymore. His arms were stronger and his back gave him the posture worthy of a prince. Nowadays, if David walked into a room, people turned around to look at him.

"I don't know." She hugged herself. "The only person I've loved in the last years is Henry. I don't think I know what it means to romantically love someone."  
"Then you don't love him." He stood right in front of her looking into her eyes. "If you did, you would feel it. Feel it here," he touched his hand to her chest where her heart was beating. "Do you feel it here?"  
"I don't know, David. I don't love the way you do!" Tears were once again forming in her eyes.  
"You don't have to love the way I do. You just have to open your heart."  
"Every time I try, I end up getting hurt!"  
"Life is a bitch, I know."

David realized he still had his hand on her chest and quickly moved it away. Never did he picture himself talking to the Evil Queen about love. But there he was. Regina was as vulnerable as any of them; they had just never seen it.

"I know you have to head back inside, but do you mind sitting out here with me for a while?"  
"Not at all." They sat at the small tables outside Granny's. "I'm sure they are all entertained."  
"How do you do it?"  
"How do I do what?"  
"How do you always find good in life? In people?"  
"No, I don't."  
"You do. Even in me."  
"I guess it's because I have to believe there's something else. It isn't easy and there are times when I can't do it. Like with King George."  
"Well, he is a bastard."  
David chuckled and saw her eyes smiling. "He most certainly is. See? I don't always find good in everything."  
"You almost always do. What do you see in me?"  
"You are a good mother, you are passionate, you love with every fiber of your body and you protect what you love. Plus, I've heard you are a good kisser."  
She felt the heat on herself as she blushed. "You heard that."  
"There's nothing wrong with it."  
"I didn't say there was, I just thought no one had heard that."  
"He called you a good kisser, that's good." He winked at her before leaning back on his chair.

Was Charming flirting? Or was that his normal way to act around women? Maybe that was why Snow had nicknamed him Charming. She had no idea what was going on and how she had ended up talking to David about her love life, but for some reason it didn't feel wrong. Quite the opposite in fact. She felt _safe_, if that was the word she could use. Everything in her life was chaotic lately. She had woken up in Storybrooke without memories of the last year. Henry had come back to town without remembering her. Her half-sister had showed up and tried to destroy everything she ever cared about. A man who was supposedly her soul-mate had shown up in her life. And the Charmings had been awfully nice to her. Regina's life was definitely not the way she pictured it being.

"What about you? Are you a good kisser?"  
"You will have to ask Snow about that." David laughed rubbing his chin. "But I do remember you tried to kiss me while I was under the curse."  
"That was just a tactic, dear. Don't flatter yourself."  
"I am sure you would have loved it."  
"Wow! Such an enormous ego for a shepherd boy."  
"I am a prince."  
"And that justifies the big ego?"  
"I believe it does, yes."  
Regina found herself genuinely laughing. "Oh, dear."  
"We both know you wanted to kiss me."  
"I did. But not for the reasons you would like to hear."  
"I know," David looked at her and for a second she felt lost in the deepness of his blue eyes, "you wanted to kiss me to hurt Snow."  
"Did you ever tell her?"  
"No, it wouldn't have been the honorable thing to do."  
"You are always doing the honorable thing. Don't you get tired of it?"  
"Maybe."  
"You do! That's why you were about to kill that mermaid when I pushed you to do it."  
"We aren't all good and we aren't all evil. We are gray."  
"Are you seriously using a color to describe human beings? That isn't very charming of you, dear."  
"Bear with me, will you?"  
"Okay, I'm listening."  
"We are raised to believe that if we do the right thing, we will be good people. You were raised by a mother who wanted you to be queen because in her eyes that was the only good. I was raised by a mother who wanted me to follow my heart because it would lead me to the goodness of life. But what if they were wrong? No one is completely good. No one is completely bad. We are all gray. We have a good side and we have a bad side. We choose which of those defines us."  
"You might be right."

They remained in silence for a while. Regina was wondering what evilness could ever possess David. Yes, he would have killed the mermaid if Snow hadn't interfered. But, did that mean he was evil? Of course not. He had done more good in his life than anyone she had ever met. He loved his family. He fought for his people. He wanted nothing but good for everyone he knew. And she wasn't like that. She had tried to destroy everyone's life because she was miserable. But then again, she had loved Henry. He had been the goodness in her life. Could that mean David was right? Could that mean they weren't all good and they weren't all bad?

The moonlight was shining against her face and he could see the lip scar right above her upper lip. That was his favorite thing about her face. She had beautiful eyes that could show exactly was she was feeling. Her nose fitted her features perfectly. The smile that appeared from time to time was stunning and breathtakingly gorgeous. But the lip scar was his favorite. It held a story that not everyone knew. It made her look mysterious and sexy at the same time. He could picture himself running his fingertip against it, feeling the smoothness of her skin under his touch.

"I have to head back inside but first I want to ask you something."  
"Are you trying to offend me again, David?" She pushed her hair behind her ear as she turned around to look at him.  
"No, I promise I am not."  
"Okay then, go ahead and ask."  
"How did you get that scar?"

And in that moment he did. David ran his thumb gently along her lip scar. Her skin was smooth and he could feel exactly where the scar started and where it ended. David didn't care that someone could walk out in that moment and see him touching her. He didn't care about what they may think. He just needed to feel her skin. He needed to know what that lip scar felt like. And, unsurprisingly, it felt perfect; just like she was.

"How did you get this scar?"  
"I think that's a story for another time." Regina moved her face away and flashed him a sad smile. "You should go back inside, I am sure they're wondering where you are."  
"Will you be okay?"  
"I will."  
"If you need anything…"  
"I will call you."  
"Go home and get some rest, Gina." He kissed her cheek. "I will see you around."  
"Have a nice night, David."

He had called her Gina, a nickname no one had ever used on her. Had he done it to make her feel better? Had he done it to feel closer to her? Regina was going crazy inside her mind. She was mad at Robin. She was mad at Emma. She couldn't picture herself going through heartbreak again. Losing Robin saddened her because she had finally believed she had a second chance. But what if she was wrong? What if he wasn't her second chance? What if there was another man in town who was supposed to be her second chance?

* * *

_I would love it if you guys could leave any reviews, it really helps me improve my work. I do hope you enjoy where I will take this fic._


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